New site, looking for input

[NCLBNY]

I have just started up a new site and I invite everyone from here to check it out

http://therlt.com/

I am also looking for input on it, it is created around low budget car enthuasiasts, so it goes over road trips close weekend get awys or activities road reviews and car reviews.

please email any input to [email protected]

I look forward to hearing what you all have to say, I beleive this could be a way to expand any auto enthusiast community.

[Speed_69]

your site needs a lot of work

[NCLBNY]

I am well aware of it needing work, I do realize that there are a few gramer errors, the google search bar at the bottom does not work as well as multiple other things to improve. What I am looking for is input so I know what to address first and what people are looking for. I do not have endless amount of time as i do work a full time job aswell, so I would like to improve the major parts first, and I am finding site building takes a lot of time.

I do find the site decently easy to navigate but that could just be because I built it.

I am not a writer or a web designer I am just a guy trying to help promote budget based motoring enjoyment, and weekend trip ideas for people.

[codetrap]

Are you getting paid to make this site?

[Critical]

The site should be organized better. A review tab, which then pulls down roads, cars, food ect..., would make it easier. Also, you need a layout. Lots of white space and the logo is not well done. I can suggest using a pre-made layout, google search, until you can start creating your own graphics. If you want me to whip up some quick graphics for some ideas for you I could do that.

Tip: Font makes the webpage looks nice and clean. Using a big bold red comic sans font then changing it to arial black regular makes the website look unprofessional. Try sticking with arial throughout the site, for completeness.

[adam c]

input: don't quit your day job

[CUG]

Honestly, it looks like a redirected spam site at first glance and the "graphics" blow.

[Doozer]

I hate to say it, but Speed is right. And it's a lot of work to quantify everything that needs attention.

Overall, your design is one of the first things that needs addressing. People are going to immediately leave if the design is amateurish or gawdy, because they'll assume the content is as well. Worse yet, they won't give the content a legitimate chance because they'll be turned off by the visualization.

There are a ton of resources for good site design - here's one link (http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/01/31/10-principles-of-effective-web-design/) , but there are tons to find on Google.

Some of the issues I noticed
- the fact that your main page "design" is centered, and all other pages are left-aligned.
- the main logo at the top is not good - it's pixelated a bit, and quite frankly is pretty boring.
- the images on the "Grassi Lakes Hike" are distorted and improperly sized
- you're using a lot of different fonts, which detracts from the overall readability.
- I know you're getting free hosting, but the Saskatchewan banners are the top are a distraction and take away from the site itself.
- The google ad-bar is too long, and it pushes your bottom menu way down, which makes people have to scroll because they think they're missing something.

That's just a few that I noticed from a quick skim.

But just as importantly, you need to deal with content. It's difficult to establish a site as legitimate when you've got a lot of pages "under construction" and other pages with only 1 review.

If you've got a site with tens of thousands of pages, it's ok to have a few under construction, but for a smaller site, just remove those links. If there's nothing there, then the site just looks poorly maintained. Remove those sections, and once you have the content, add the links as "new features!" or something. It's better to have a few links with working information than a dozen links that are all under construction. When someone's building a car, they don't put an engine on the chassis and then invite people to come for a ride.

For the sections with reviews, try and get more up, as soon as possible. You can't expect people to return to a site with only 1 or 2 pieces of info, so add more reviews/photos/etc to give people a reason to stay and come back.

That'll come with time, and hopefully the design will too. I've tried to be constructive, although it may sound like a lot of criticism. It's not a bad idea, but it just seems like you may be promoting it a bit early.

Check out some of the web resources on design and content, and good luck. :thumbsup:

(wow, this went way too long, I really need to get back to work)

[NCLBNY]

Thank you Very much Doozer, your input is very constructive and I do appreciate it.

I am not getting paid for this site, it is purely just a way for me to be involved in something I enjoy doing (driving enthusiast).

With so much to do the site may remain idle for some time but I will try and improve it and then ask for new opinions.

So from what I have read so far my best starting to do list consists of:
- changing everything to 1 font only
- add some "pop" and redo/clean up the main banner
- generally make things more uniform for spacing/alignment
- add more reviews ASAP
- remove coming soon/ under construction sections sections

Thank you all for your input so far.